Thank you to NetGalley, Anna E. Collins, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Initially, what drew me into the story were two things: dogs, and a good office romance with a grumpy X sunshine dynamic between the two main characters. I LOVE dogs, so the fact that I got to read a romance book with adorable dogs in it was so much fun! I also feel like I don't read a whole ton of books with the grumpy X sunshine trope. That's not on purpose or anything, but I do feel like sometimes the "grumpy" person in this trope tiptoes the line between simply having a pessimistic view on life vs. being a complete a-hole to the people around them, which is a huge turnoff to me especially if they're an a-hole to their main love interest. Luckily, Jonathan never gave me those vibes throughout the story, which is a huge plus in my book!

Unfortunately, the two things I mentioned above are the only things I liked about the book. I found Holly to be extremely immature for a person who's supposed to be in her thirties. She was honestly fine at first, and I didn't have any issues with her until the last 15-20% of the book! I felt like her character development went extremely downhill once she started to wrap up all of her planning and photography shoots for her fundraiser. She was selfish and flat-out rude to Jonathan for no reason. It was as if the grumpy (Jonathan) X sunshine (Holly) flipped, and Holly became the grumpy person in the trope.

Also, as one of my BIGGEST gripes with the book, for someone who's a former lawyer and has tons of courtroom experience under her belt, her planning and organization skills were absolutely HORRENDOUS for her entire campaign. I know some of those things were out of her control, but the way she went about trying to find models for her pinup calendar was just....so weird to me. I can't go into further detail without spoiling a major part of the book and storyline, but it completely rubbed me the wrong way, and I feel like her trying to find literally ANY other way to get models for her photoshoot would've been so much better (and her dignity would probably stay intact, too.)

As for her organization skills...like, I'm no lawyer, so someone please correct me if I'm wrong here, but I'd imagine a LOT of research goes into building cases for your client before the courtroom date comes around, right? So if that's the case, then how and why did it feel like Holly was just going with the flow and didn't seem to have any real sense of urgency at the beginning of the fundraising campaign when she was trying to secure a plan and get contracts and all of that? I felt like she WASN'T moving fast enough for a fundraising campaign that would literally send her to live overseas in Scotland for a year. She was talking so much about how she wants to win so she can move there, already started looking at apartments to rent, and all that other stuff, yet she was moving at a snail's pace trying to find models for her photoshoot? Girl, you gotta do the work to get there first!

As for the side characters...ugh. Rachel, Holly's best friend, irritated me to no end. I felt like she was way too nosy and wanted to know way too much about Holly's love life. I get it, she's her best friend and wants to know all the tea, but there are moments where you need to read the room and figure out that now's not the best time to say or do certain things. (Also, can we talk about the fact that Rachel would be casually dating one dude but constantly ogling other guys, and she justifies it by saying that her current man wouldn't care that she was checking someone else out? Like....yikes.)

As for Jude, Holly's brother, and his teenage daughter, Ava, I felt like their storyline was honestly more interesting than Holly and Jonathan's at times, and it's only supposed to be a sideplot! I will admit that there were times where I would be reading and would say to myself, "I don't really know why we should care about Jude and Ava's plotline so much when it contributes nothing to the story," but at the same time I wanted to read more about them and their dynamic as a father and daughter! I have mixed feelings about it, but that was something I thought was worth mentioning.

Overall, if you want a quick, office romance with LOTS of dogs, this might be the book for you! I wasn't the biggest fan of it, but I didn't mind the writing, and I would still honestly try another one of the author's books to see if I would like one of them better.

(P.S. It's also super cool that the title is called Finding Mr. July and the book was published in July. I'm sure that was intentional, but something I still wanted to point out.)

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a honest review. I promise my review is 100% accurate to me.

I loved Worst in Show, so so had high hopes for Finding Mr.July. I was not disappointed. If you are looking for a fun rom com you are in the right right place. I also love books with dogs somewhere in the plot, and I got that in spades.

It's impossible to not be charmed by a book full of sweet pups and handsome men. I enjoyed the banter between Jonathan and Holly, their chemistry, and their professional challenge that wasn't always professional, but had just the right amount of spice. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the incredible Lauren Ezzo, and I think it's the perfect way to enjoy this delightful romantic comedy.

Omg you guys, this book is the cutest thing ever!. Literally couldn’t put it down because of how good it was. I loved both characters and I’m not afraid to say I’m slightly obsessed with Jonathan. He’s just the sweetest guy and when he told Holly, I’d you’re not careful; I might never let you go.. 🥰😍

I did not enjoy this book. I would read another book by this author. I just didn't bond with any of the characters or the plot.

This book was fine but felt a little rushed as far as the story went. Everything seemed to happen a bit too fast to be comfortable. Making for kind of a messy story. Good idea for a plot though.

This is a slower-burn workplace romance with plenty of humor, unique spice, and a backdrop of gorgeous settings. The man/dog calendar project adds a fresh, lighthearted twist while also providing the perfect excuse for forced proximity and playful moments. Their journey is equal parts funny, touching, and romantic and the way they find balance in each other’s lives is deeply satisfying.

3.5 stars
To win a spot at her company's Glasgow firm, Holly needs to beat the other four interns and raise the most money. With her mentor/ best friend, it should be the easiest thing. But Jonathan, the photographer, does not like being forced in this situation. But as the two are finding men with dogs to fill their calendar, the two start working very closely together. And there are feelings involved. But Holly wants to move away and start fresh, and Jonathan is on a no-fly list. So between her head and her heart, Holly doesn't know what to chose.
This book was pretty good. It had an enemies to lovers turned friends to lovers turned friends with benefits vibe that honestly fit the book. And of course it had its HEA but to get there was a lot of work. I liked the calendar idea Holly had and it was a great way for her and Jonathan to spend A LOT of time together. It's funny, has some serious conversations, and is all around heartwarming. Even though it's no longer July, I think this book is a great summer read and should be added to that TBR and read soon! (Even though some great summer reads can be read in the winter, as Pre-summer season!)
Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for giving me an ARC of this book!

this was cute and very on theme for the holiday! I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and how they fell in love

4 stars - thank you to Forever for the ARC and Hachette Audio for the ALC! These are my honest thoughts.

Holly's started over. Her second career. She's pivoting. She was a successful lawyer that got taken out by her ex, and now she's an intern at a non-profit doing environmental work. Her internship is coming to an end, and there's a competition. But first... she gets stuck in a closet and rescued by the office grump, who she then has a one night stand with at a company party (where they hook up in the rec room at their office).

When the competition is announced, it turns out that Holly actually needs her ONS's help, not only for his role in the company, but for who HE used to be... a famous NatGeo photography who has ALSO had to start over. She NEEDS him to win the coveted job across the pond that she's been dreaming about, helping the non-profit open a new office, with new adventures in store for her. When Jonathon agrees to help her with the project to create a hot man/dog calendar to raise funds and win the competition, these two are forced to interact more than they ever have before.

When these two pair up to work together, their chemistry sizzles. And their work becomes magical, even if there are some distractions. They find balance in each other that other relationships have been lacking, and there's this raw honesty to their relationship that brings a realness and feelings to the surface.

I loved Holly's brother and niece, and Jonathan's dad. Both characters had fun and quirky people in their lives to give them perspective and help them out when necessary, which allowed for a depth to show that wouldn't have otherwise. I think it brought both characters to life to have these side characters going along with their antics.

Read if you love:
- Seattle based books!
- Workplace romance
- Forced proximity
- One night stand to just while we work on this project to *feelings*
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Dogs
- Hot men calendars (these shoots for the calendar were hilarious and fun!)
- "Online dating" to find men with dogs
- Photography, graphic design
- A little bit older main characters (second careers for both, divorce)

The audiobook was good. Lauren Ezzo is the sole narrator on this project, and I think she did a pretty good job. I always like when a book is dual pov, and I love when an audiobook is duet or dual narration. At times, it felt like I got a lot of HOLLY, and not enough of the other characters, but I can't say if that was a narration ick or if that's how the story was written. Overall, easy to read, easy to please.

In order to land a coveted position in Scotland Holly King must be declared the winner of a work fundraiser. Will she succeed in her quest to find male models for her calendar idea? While her source for finding said models is a bit unconventional she is determined to win.

Jonathan Summers is about to discover what happens when business collides with pleasure. When his career hits an all-time low and he is forced to change his "wild" ways will he be ok with the new reality?

A man who must overcome his past, the choices he made, and find a way to trust in himself.

A slow-burn with some spice in a workplace romance that has older main characters and a slower paced plot arc. For those readers looking for a beach read. While this didn't connect with me I know it will for other readers.

Holly and Jonathan’s chemistry (he’s mysterious and grumpy, she’s earnest and a bit chaotic) works so well to demonstrate workplace romance that spills into character’s everyday lives, their dreams and goals for better lives. Both having history of being wronged/ostracized levels the playing field and they band together in beautiful settings that are emotional and ultimately, very romantic. Solid banter and uniquely spicy made this book a 5 star read.

How perfect is reading Finding Mr. July in the month of July? A fun rom-com where opposite attract, hot men and lovable dogs are part of the mix. Holly’s career has bottom out and her BFF gets her a job at a nonprofit organization. Going from a lawyer to an intern is a big adjustment but surprisingly she is enjoying the work. As her internship nears the end her boss Manny comes up with the idea of a contest between the 5 interns. The one who raises the most money for the nonprofit will stay on and head the Glasgow office. The ideal solution for Holly to getaway from Seattle and the bad memories of her former job. As the interns scramble to find partners to help with the project Holly was too slow and only grumpy Jonathan was left. When she finds out he was a professional photographer it becomes a huge advantage, since her idea is to sell calendars of hot men and their dogs. Only Jonathan refuses to help! Holly goes to Manny to give Jonathan a push and being his friend he couldn’t say no. As the two start to work together on the calendar they also help each other with problems in their past and a friendship develops that leads to so much more.
A fun read with a few laughs and some steam. Love how the author touches on the various personalities of the dogs. I want to thank NetGalley and Forever Books for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

it's cute. the only thing i like this book is puppies and/or dogs. but it's nothing special (for me). at least i'm entertained by this.

for the audiobook, the musical score is so addicting to hear. i like the narrator. her narration is great.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters and plot. It was one of my favourite books this year!

I went into this book with no expectations whatsoever. I was lucky enough to be gifted with this book so never heard of it before however once I read the plot it sounded like it would be right up my alley and boy was I right. This also being the second book I've read by this author gave me a slight advantage on writing style which was nice. This was a really cute contemporary romance read which is everything I am devouring lately. With an enemies to lovers subplot I knew they would be drama and banter and boy was I all for it. This book like any typical romance novel focuses on a female lead character, Holly. Holly is currently interning at a firm for her dream job. However she is thrown for a curve ball when she learns in order to land the position she so desperately wants she must not only enter a fundraising contest but she must win as well. It isn't until after she does some thinking that she decides the best way to get people involved is to girl the women what they want, puppies and beautiful men all combined in a callander. Enter Johnathan, the office iceman, who, much to Holly's dismay is a pro at everything techy so the perfect and only person possible to help create a new callander. Right from the get go the to characters clash personality wise however at the same time you knew that it was just the egos and the hard shells that were competing. I loved the banter between the two characters and watching them realise the sparks that we saw from the beginning made for a very cute read. This was a feel good read that will distract you from anything else going on in your life as you are instantly pulled into the world of our characters. A cute romance, lots of unrecognised fire between our main characters and add puppies to that mix and you have a great read for any woman. I loved Jonathan's character but I just wish we got to see his perspective on a few things instead of everything from our fmc's point of view. I think that would have been just the cherry on top however even without that I do feel what I had originally considered to be a fluff read was actually a pretty solid plot and I enjoyed every minute of it.

This was such a cute workplace romance!

Holly and Jonathan were opposites, but they had a spark between them. And when they were working together on a project, they got closer and got to know each other.

It was so fun seeing them try to find models with puppies to photograph for a calendar. Puppies! It wasn’t easy, and some moments were pretty hilarious.

This was my first book by this author but it won’t be the last.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Holly did not think she would find herself being called an intern again. However, after having to walk away from her previous job as a successful lawyer, she takes what she can get. Luckily, her friend is able to secure her an internship at a local environmental non-profit. At the end of summer, all of the interns have one final assignment and whoever raises the most money in their fundraiser will be awarded a full-time job at the new office in Scotland. She thought coming up with her fundraising idea would be the hardest part, but that was the easier end when it came to now having to work with Jonathan Summers. Holly wanted to put together a calendar of local men and their adorable dogs. When there is so much on the line for Holly, she has no time for distractions and certainly not Jonathan’s antics. Holly will stop at nothing to get what she wants, and might just be too stubborn to realize everything she needs and wants, could be right in front of her.

While there we certainly some things about this that a little off-putting, overall, it’s a fun read. I liked that the characters were older, but they certainly could have done with a bit more maturity. This one still brings the laughs and certainly fun to imagine all of those photo shoots.

This was hilarious and absolutely perfect for reading in the month of July. Holly is an intern competing for a permanent position with a nonprofit in Scotland, and her big idea is a calendar featuring hot men and their dogs. To her dismay, she’s paired with the grumpy office photographer, who she may or may not have already hooked up with. Oops. This book was a breath of fresh air and genuinely funny from start to finish. I also loved all the puppy moments throughout the story. If you enjoyed “Worst in Show,” this one delivers a similar fun and flirty vibe. Highly recommend!

As basic as a rom com could get… not in a bad way. I still very much enjoyed the book and characters. Because I would also love to run away to Glasgow with the love of my life.